GoPro, already in trouble, recalls its new Karma drone

GoPro, which is already in trouble after revealing a sharp decline in sales during the last quarter, is facing yet another speed bump. The company is already recalling its brand new GoPro Karma drone, which only started arriving in customer’s hands within the last couple of weeks.

The GoPro Karma, which went on sale October 23, could potentially lose power while it’s in flight. This is dangerous for a number of reasons – the drone could land on a house, land on a highway, on someone’s head… you get the idea — but most importantly, it also shows the drone doesn’t function properly. GoPro said that the issue was only reported in a “very small number of cases,” but that it decided to initiate the recall to prevent any dangerous situations.

“Safety is our top priority,” GoPro CEO Nicholas Woodman said this week. “A very small number of Karma owners have reported incidents of power failure during operation. We have moved quickly to recall all units of Karma and provide a full refund while we investigate the issue.” Woodman apologized to GoPro’s customers and said he wants the process to be as easy as possible. He also said GoPro is working in “close coordination” with the USPSC and the FAA.

Following Karma drone recall, where goes GoPro go next?

The bigger story here is that GoPro tried to enter a new product category with its drone, potentially taking a stab at DJI and other drone-makers who have found success. Its goal was to cater to its active audience who might otherwise be strapping GoPro products onto other drones. That attempt failed, and it’s a scary situation for a company that’s seeing sinking sales for its flagship camera products. Where goes GoPro go next?